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Category: College

Western tennis defeats Fort Hays State to clinch MIAA tournament berth

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HAYS, Kan. – Missouri Western (11-11, 2-6 MIAA) has officially punched its ticket to the MIAA tennis championships in Oklahoma City. The Griffons clinched their spot by defeating Fort Hays State (3-10, 0-8 MIAA) 5-2 on the road on Saturday.

The Griffons took the doubles points with wins on the number one and three courts. Joanna Abreu Roman and Karolina Ström started things off for Missouri Western with a 6-1 victory to open up the match. The Tigers would win the second doubles match before Federica Salmaso and Bojana Vuksan put the Griffons on the scoreboard with a 6-3 win to finish the doubles. Saturday’s doubles win is the seventh of the season for Salmaso and Vuksan, which is second on the team behind the duo of Abreu Roman and Ström.

Vuksan continued momentum for the Griffons with a 6-0, 6-0 shutout win. Ström and Salmaso also both won their singles matches, giving Missouri Western four points to clinch the match.

Abreu Roman battled her way to a victory in what turned out to be the day’s most competitive match. After losing the first set, the senior stormed back to win the final two sets by scores of 6-1 and 10-5. Abreu Roman is now second on the team with 12 wins in duals this season.

Missouri Western will wrap up the regular season at Nebraska Kearney (13-12, 2-6 MIAA) on Monday. It will be the team’s final competition before the MIAA Championships in Oklahoma City on April 26.

MWSU VS. FHSU
SINGLES
Karolina Ström (MWSU) def. Laura Jimenez-Lendinez (FHSU) 6-1, 6-3
Natalie Lubbers (FHSU) def. Birosta,Mireia (MWSU) 6-1, 6-0
Joanna Abreu Roman (MWSU) def. Lauren Lindell (FHSU) 3-6, 6-1, 10-5
Federica Salmaso (MWSU) def. Ellea Ediger (FHSU) 6-1, 6-3
Macy Moyers,(FHSU) def. Erica Dunn (MWSU) 2-6, 6-1, 10-8
Bojana Vuksan (MWSU) def. Haley Weidemann (FHSU) 6-0, 6-0

DOUBLES
Abreu Roman/Ström (MWSU) def. Lindell/Lubbers (FHSU) 6-1
Ediger/Moyers (FHSU) def. Birosta/Dunn (MWSU) 6-2
Salmaso/Vuksan (MWSU) def. Jimenez-Lendinez/Lubbers (FHSU) 6-3

— MWSU Athletics —

Griffons run-rule Bearcats in series opener 16-3

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ST. JOSEPH – An eight-run sixth inning blew what was turning into a tight game wide open as Griffon Baseball (15-15, 12-10) run-ruled Northwest Missouri (17-17, 13-9), 16-3 in seven innings on Friday.

Two runs in the top of the fifth by Northwest pulled the Bearcats within four at 7-3, but the Griffs scored another in the fifth and had the big sixth inning to shorten the game.

NOTABLES

  • The Griffons had 13 total hits and capitalized on one Northwest error
  • MWSU homered four times, taking advantage of winds over 20 miles per hour out to left
  • 13 Griffs came to the plate in the six-hit, eight-run home half of the sixth
  • Casey Danley homered twice and was 3-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored
  • Dusty Stroup stayed hot at the plate with a double, a home run, four RBIs and three runs scored. Stroup now has 14 hits in his last five games
  • Brooks Day went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored, he also homered
  • Thomas Ruwe got the win in his first career start, striking out eight over five innings
  • Josh Miller struck out two and allowed one hit over two innings of relief

UP NEXT
Game two of the three-game series will be played Saturday at 4 p.m. Members of the 2000 Griffon Baseball team – Buzz Verduzco’s first at MWSU – will be recognized prior to the game.

— MWSU Athletics —

MWSU softball extends win streak to 10 with sweep at Southern

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JOPLIN, Mo. – Griffon Softball (28-14, 15-5) swept its fifth-straight MIAA series and climbed into second place in the MIAA standings with a pair of wins, Friday, at Missouri Southern (17-20, 8-12).

Missouri Western extended its win streak with an extra-inning shutout and a bit of a hit parade on Friday in Joplin.

The 10-game winning streak is the longest since a 10-game streak late in the 2016 season that included a 4-0 run through the MIAA Softball Championships. The wins left the Griffons technically tied for second place in the standings with 2018 MIAA champion Washburn. Missouri Western is 15-5 and Washburn is 12-4 after splitting a doubleheader with Nebraska-Kearney on Friday.

GAME 1
Missouri Western 1, Missouri Southern 0 (11 innings)

  • Cassidy Kelsheimer hit a sacrifice fly to center field in the 11th to drive in the only run of the game
  • Emma Hoffart led off the 11th with a single and advanced to third when Missouri Southern threw away Sydni Hawkins’ sacrifice bunt attempt to put runners on the corners with no one out
  • Tamara Hicks entered to run for Hoffart and scored the winning run on Kelsheimer’s sac-fly
  • Kaili Hinds pitched an 11-inning complete game shutout, holding Southern to nine hits. She struck out two and didn’t walk a batter to improve to 13-3 on the season
  • Hawkins went 2-for-3 to extend her hitting streak to 12 games
  • Hoffart was 2-for-5

GAME 2
Missouri Western 10, Missouri Southern 5

  • A three-run top of the seventh quieted any thoughts of a Missouri Southern comeback
  • MWSU led 6-1 after scoring two in the top of the fourth, but Missouri Southern scored four in the bottom half to pull within one
  • The Griffons got one in the fifth and then the three-run seventh to put the game out of reach
  • MWSU tied a program single-game record with seven doubles
  • Morgan Frost had two of the doubles to move into second in the MIAA with 17 this season
  • Hawkins went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. She doubled and tripled to push her hitting streak to 13 games
  • All but one Griff in the starting lineup had at least a hit
  • Marissa Guenther went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple
  • Olivia Goodale allowed just one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings

UP NEXT

  • The Griffs travel to Pittsburg State (21-22, 9-9) for a doubleheader Saturday that is scheduled to begin at noon.

— MWSU Athletics —

Northwest softball drops two games at Pittsburg State

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PITTSBURG, Kansas – The Pittsburg State University Gorillas softball team scored a pair of victories over the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats on Friday.

The Gorillas topped the Bearcats in game one, 8-4, and followed it up with a 7-4 victory in the second contest.

Game One
The Bearcats were the first to score in the top of the second. Jaclyn Weydert singled through the left side and advanced to second on the throw, allowing Karli Allen and Kiana Baderdeen to score and give Northwest a 2-0 lead.

The Gorillas answered in the bottom of the third with to home runs from Madison Wegner and Mackenzie Goswick to tie the game at 2-2.

Pitt State scored again in the bottom of the fourth from another home run to go up, 3-2.

Sydne Brashear hit a two-run homer to center in the top of the fifth give Northwest a 4-3 lead on the road.

Pitt State rallied in the bottom of the sixth inning scoring five runs and grabbed the win over the Bearcats, 8-4.

Game Two
Jaclyn Weydert scored off a fielding error in the second and to grab a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Karli Allen hit a two-run homer to advance the lead 3-0 over the Gorillas.

Pitt State answered in the bottom of the third scoring three runs to tie the game. The Gorillas scored another run in the fourth inning to grab the lead 4-3 over the Bearcats.

Jaedra Moses singled up the middle in the top of the sixth inning to bring in Jacee Winn to score and tie the game at 4-4.

The Gorillas scored three runs in the sixth and held off the Bearcats to take game two, 7-4.

The Bearcats are back in action Saturday in Joplin, Missouri to take on the Missouri Southern Lions at 9 a.m.

NOTES: Jaedra Moses, who tallied three hits on the day, leads the squad with a batting average of .404 … Moses has a team-high 42 hits in 2019 … the home run was Allen’s sixth this season.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU’s Miller finishes fourth in the heptathlon at Wichita State

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WICHITA, Kan. – Lynzi Miller was the lone Missouri Western student-athlete competing at the KT Woodman Heptathlon at Wichita State this week. The freshman placed fourth at the event, eclipsing the program record with a 4,354 point total.

Miller took fourth place in a field of 12 competitors in Wichita. She was the top finisher from NCAA Div. II and was also the top finisher among the four MIAA student-athletes at the heptathlon.

Miller’s best finish came in the 200m when she took second with a time of 25.47, finishing just two milliseconds behind the event winner. She also ran a 2:35.08 in the 800m to take third in the event.

Miller also earned top-five finishes in the long jump with a jump of 4.99m (16′ 4.50″) and the 100m hurdles (15.30).

Missouri Western Track and Field will compete at the David Suenram Gorilla Classic on Saturday.

— MWSU Athletics —

Mizzou’s Cunningham selected 13th overall by Phoenix in WNBA Draft

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NEW YORK – Mizzou Women’s Basketball senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was selected by the Phoenix Mercury with the first pick in the second round of Wednesday’s WNBA Draft. Cunningham’s 13th overall selection is the highest a Mizzou player has ever been drafted in the WNBA Draft.

Cunningham surpasses Amanda Lassiter, who was selected by the Houston Comets with the 15th pick of the first round in 2001. Cunningham is the first Mizzou player to be drafted since Bri Kulas in 2014, and the third selection during head coach Robin Pingeton’s tenure, following Kulas and Christine Flores in 2012.

Cunningham received AP and USWBA All-America Third Team and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention honors after helping guide Mizzou to its fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018-19. She earned AP All-America Honorable Mention honors after outstanding sophomore and junior campaigns.

Cunningham was named to her third straight All-SEC First Team by the league’s coaches, becoming the first player in program history to earn All-Conference First Team honors in three consecutive seasons. In addition, she was named to the All-SEC First Team by the Associated Press for the second straight season.

Cunningham closed her Mizzou career as Mizzou’s all-time scoring leader, finishing her historic career with 2,187 points. Among program records, Cunningham also ranks first in free throws made (537), second in three-pointers made (238), third in three-point percentage (40.3), third in free throw percentage (83.9), fourth in points per game (17.0) and fourth in assists (390).

In her senior campaign, Cunningham was the only player to average 17.0 ppg, make 80 three-pointers, make 150 free throws and record 200 rebounds. In conference play, Cunningham led the SEC in three-point shooting (46.5 percent) and threes per game (2.9). She reached 20 points in 16 games this season, including 10 times against SEC opponents, and 30 points four times.

Cunningham earned SEC All-Tournament honors after averaging 25.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg at the SEC Tournament, as she became the first Mizzou player to earn All-Tournament honors since 1994.

— Mizzou Athletics —

Big 12 Conference, ESPN enhance comprehensive rights agreement

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ESPN and the Big 12 Conference have significantly expanded their existing rights agreement, which runs through the 2024-25 season. Adding to its already robust coverage of the Big 12, the agreement means that ABC or ESPN will now exclusively televise the Big 12 Football Championship every year through 2024 – adding three additional championship games (2019, 2021 and 2023) and bolstering ABC and ESPN’s Championship Saturday lineup each year on the eve of College Football’s Selection Day.

In addition, the agreement will bring hundreds of Big 12 events – including exclusive football and basketball games, as well as multiple other sports, conference championships and original content – to ESPN+, the direct-to-consumer subscription sports streaming service.  As part of the agreement, all ESPN+ events will be produced and presented under a Big 12-branded offering to be developed by the conference and ESPN, and launched on ESPN+ ahead of the start of the 2019-20 athletic season.

“Our institutions are thrilled with the exposure all 10 athletics programs will receive through this Big 12-branded offering,” commented Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby.  “I appreciate the efforts of ESPN’s Burke Magnus, Nick Dawson and Pete Derzis in bringing this to fruition. Building on our relationship with ESPN and Disney DTCI allows our programs access to cutting-edge technology through the ESPN+ platform, and the ability for multiple live contests to be distributed simultaneously.  Our goal was to be forward thinking in the use of technology to create a conference-branded platform and believe this partnership ideally positions the Big 12 now and into the foreseeable future.”

“We appreciate the continued collaboration with our friends at the Big 12 Conference and their commitment to innovation,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN executive vice president, programming & scheduling. “This enhancement to our rights agreement reflects an ongoing desire to give Big 12 fans access to their favorite teams and hundreds of more contests, while embracing the power of technology and the expanded nature of sports consumption with ESPN+.”

Hundreds of Events Added Through 2024-25

Under the expanded agreement, hundreds of additional Big 12 sports events annually will be presented under the new Big 12-branded offering on ESPN+, with each participating Big 12 Conference school assigning available rights to ESPN and delivering more than 50 exclusive events per year. The lineup will include:

  • An exclusive regular-season football game each season from each participating school, as well as any spring football games;
  • All regular season and exhibition men’s basketball games not distributed on ESPN’s linear networks (expected to be upwards of 75 games per year);
  • Women’s basketball and other conference sports such as volleyball, soccer, wrestling, softball, baseball and more;
  • Select Big 12 Conference championship events and original content.

Eight of the conference’s 10 schools will produce and deliver multiple sports under the new Big 12-branded platform on ESPN+, with schools joining on a rolling basis. Starting in 2019, there will be games from Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State, in addition to the select Big 12 Conference championship events.

In 2020-21, Iowa State, TCU, West Virginia and Texas Tech will join the lineup. Due to existing long-term rights agreements, Texas (the Longhorn Network) and Oklahoma will not produce and deliver programming included on ESPN+ at this time, but will be featured as road teams in games listed under the new Big 12-branded offering on the service.

Big 12 events will be available as part of any ESPN+ subscription, and join a programming lineup of thousands of live sports events and thousands of hours of on-demand content, including acclaimed original programming and the 30 for 30 film library, as well as premium editorial content and tools.

The ESPN App and ESPN.com will offer a branded, one-stop home for viewing Big 12 events, making events distributed under the new Big 12-branded offering on ESPN+ accessible to fans alongside current Big 12 events streamed from ESPN networks (available to pay television subscribers via “TV everywhere” authentication), as well as other related video. The content will also be served to fans who select Big 12 Conference member schools among their favorites in the ESPN App.

Griffon softball sweeps SBU with a one-hitter & a walk-off HR

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ST. JOSEPH – A run-rule one-hitter and a walk-off home run from a freshman pushed Griffon Softball’s (26-14, 13-5) win streak to eight games with Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of Southwest Baptist (5-30, 2-8).

Missouri Western starter Kenzie Hilzer was one out away from a five-inning no-hitter in game one, but SBU got its lone hit of the game with two out in the fifth of an 8-0 Griffon win. In game two, MWSU saw a three run lead turn into a one run deficit only to have Sydni Hawkins end the drama with a two-run walk-off home run to center in a 5-4 victory.

HILZER JUST MISSES NO-NO
Hilzer struck out four batters through five innings, allowing just the one hit to earn the junior a third-straight positive decision. She now has two wins and a save in her last three appearances, allowing just one run on six hits over her last 12 innings with 11 strikeouts and only three walks.

HAWKINS WALKS IT OFF
An error by the Griffons with two outs in the top of the sixth turned into SBU’s first run of the day and a misplayed bloop to the outfield and another error with two outs in the seventh led to Southwest Baptist taking a 4-3 lead after 6 .

Gabi Carter led off the bottom of the seventh with a single up the middle and with one out, Hawkins ended the game with a no-doubter to center. The freshman extended her hitting streak to 11 games, a stretch that has seen her batting average increase 29 points to .356.

BLANTON STAYS HOT
With three hits in the series, Brea Blanton had nine hits in her last five games, batting .529 in that stretch. The freshman now leads the team with a .417 batting average and is tied with Emma Hoffart with a team-high six RBIs.

STREAK AND STANDINGS
The eight-game win streak is the longest for the team since rattling off nine-straight early in the 2017 season. After Tuesday, the Griffons were still in fourth place, but two Central Missouri losses at Pittsburg State vaulted Washburn into second in the MIAA standings, just two games ahead of Missouri Western.

OTHER NOTABLES

  • Morgan Frost went 4-for-7 on the day with another double to extend her season total to 15, second most in the MIAA
  • Taylor Hoelscher went 4-for-5 and now has eight hits in her last six games
  • Cassidy Kelsheimer had three hits on the day to break out of a 3-for-28 stretch
  • Kaili Hinds got the win in game two to improve to 11-3 on the season. She allowed four runs, but just two were earned and she struck out eight with one walk.
  • MWSU improved to 10-3 at home this season and eclipsed last year’s win total of 25
  • The Griffons have won 13 of their last 15 games, outscoring their opponents by 42 runs over that span

UP NEXT
The Griffons travel to Missouri Southern (Friday) and Pittsburg State (Saturday) this weekend for two doubleheaders before getting a week off. MWSU wraps up the regular season on April 26 (Washburn) and 27 (Emporia State) at home.

— MWSU Athletics —

Bearcats fall to Pitt State 4-3 in Kansas City

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KANSAS CITY, Kansas – The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team dropped a 3-2 non-conference decision to the Pittsburg State University at the Kansas City T-Bones Stadium.

Alixon Herrera ripped a two-out double to the deepest part of the park to score Connor Quick in the first and give the Bearcats a 1-0 lead.

Bearcat starter Gibson Brown allowed one unearned run on four hits as he worked the first five innings on the hill.

Northwest added an unearned run of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Calvin Rudolph reached on a throwing error by Pittsburg State shortstop Tyson Cushman. Rudolph moved up to second on a passed ball by PSU catcher Caleb Cox. Quick followed with a double down the left field line to plate Rudolph and give Northwest a 2-1 lead.

The Gorillas rallied off Bearcat closer Trevor Dudar in the eighth and ninth innings. Pittsburg State scored on a bases loaded walk with two outs in the eighth to tie the game at 3-3. The Gorillas then scored the go-ahead run in the ninth after three walks and a sacrifice fly.

Northwest drops to 17-16 overall, while Pittsburg State moves to 18-16 on the year.

The Bearcats will return to action Friday at 3 p.m. at Missouri Western. The Bearcats and Griffons will play a three-game set in St. Joseph.

NOTES: Connor Quick had a three-hit night as he went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI … Alex Slocum pitched 1 2/3 innings and gave up one hits and struck out two in relief of the starter Brown … Dudar pitched 1 1/3 innings and gave up no hits, but walked five.

— Northwest Athletics —

MWSU women’s golf wraps up Central Region Preview in 10th

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – The Missouri Western women’s golf team played the second and final round of the Central Region Spring Preview on Tuesday, finishing tied for 10th with a total score of 648. Chong Yong led the Griffons at the event, as she tied for ninth with a two-round score of 152 (+8)

Missouri Western places tied for tenth after entering Tuesday in 13th place. The Griffons improved their second-round score by 10 strokes, scoring a 319 in the second round. The Griffons also placed ahead of three MIAA schools, while tying Central Missouri for tenth. Dallas Baptist won the event with a team score of 589.

Chong Yong took ninth place at the Central Region Spring Preview after finishing the first round tied for 31st. After her 79 (+7) on Monday, Yong improved by six strokes with her 73 (+1) second-round performance. Her ninth-place finish also marks her second top-10 finish of the spring, and her two-round total of 152 is her best score this spring.

Also improving in Tuesday’s final round was Anna Bech. Bech shot a 79 (+7) in the second round, shaving six strokes off of her score of 85 (+13) in the first. Her total score of 164 tied her for 49th.

Jenna Kosmatka was the next Griffon on the leaderboards, shooting an 84 (+12) in the second round to bring her total to 166.

Katie Irvin scored a 170 for the Griffons while Sabrina Galfano improved her first-round score by seven strokes to finish with a total score of 173.

Next up for Missouri Western Women’s Golf is the MIAA Championship, which will begin April 23 at Firekeeper Golf Course in Mayetta, Kansas.

— MWSU Athletics —

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